As I remember it the passage (pardon!) from Hamlet goes...

"Madam, shall I lie in your lap? I mean, my head upon your lap? What? Did you think I meant country matters?"

Puns were considered highly at the period - it required intellect to handle the creation and interpretation of them. Later on, it became fashionable to say "Puns are the lowest form of wit".

I remember participating in the staging of play where the buffoons were inciting their cowardly mate to fight a duel with an equally cowardly cross-gartered fool (pick the play!) and both characters were trying to fight the duel while staying as far away from each other as possible... (in case they got hurt!) :-)

The Bard is not to be read, but acted on a stage... Hence the inspiration for many of The Fooles Troupe Routines I wrote - they look dead on paper, but once you get on your feet, they become very visual, and hilarious!

Robin